The costs of a university life in France continue to rise at an unacceptable rate, according to the Unef union, which has called for concrete measures to alleviate the problems faced by young students.
The union is asking for more “social protection” for undergraduates and more investment in bursaries. The cost of accommodation for students, accounting for 55 percent of their total monthly outgoings, is of particular concern, Unef says.
Increased costs of lodging in 15 French university towns, together with higher transport costs, combine to make the life of students unacceptably high, the union claims. In Paris, rents for smaller flats are up by an average 1.38 percent over a year and by 0.5 percent in the rest of France. Six cities account for both an increase in rents and transport: Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Orleans, Besançon and Nice.